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Police Move to Revamp Tactics

New York political leaders called for reforms in the wake of a grand jury's decision not to indict an NYPD officer in the death of Eric Garner as protesters took to the streets. WSJ's Jennifer Weiss reports. Photo: Getty Images

Police departments around the country are racing to develop new training rules on the use of force, a response that has gained urgency amid scrutiny from the U.S. Justice Department and an emerging consensus that law-enforcement practices need to be reviewed and revamped.

In many cases, departments are grappling with how to prevent encounters between police and citizens from escalating into deadly ones, especially with minorities, as was the case in two deaths that have sparked nationwide civil-rights protests. Those protests...